July 23, 2012 – Cessna’s Citation M2, on display at Cessna’s EAA AirVenture exhibit, is what our customers are asking for – ease of cockpit navigation, friendly transition for the pilot moving up or new to the jet market, comfortable cabin and efficient speed and range. Since the program was announced, nearly nine months ago, Cessna’s M2 engineering team has incoporated customer comments and suggestions into the design of the M2.
“The innovative M2 team has been working incredibly hard to make sure this aircraft is just what our customers are asking for – talking and meeting directly with customers to ensure we are hearing their feedback,” said Brian Rohloff, Cessna business leader for Citation Mustang and M2. “We have taken the initial design and incorporated customer feedback to make upgrades that we know our customers will like.”
Those upgrades include a shortened throttle quadrant pedestal and extended crew seat tracks to increase leg room in the cockpit. We have also integrated more switches into the Garmin Touch Screens to create a clean, intuitive interface for the pilots.
We heard several times in talking with pilots and owner/operators that these are a must for the M2 – so we made it happen,” Rohloff said.
Even while incorporating customer feedback into the M2 program, the program is on track for 2013 delivery. With nearly 200 hours on two M2 flying articles, flight test remains a priority to move closer to FAA certification (Part 23).
“Throughout our test flights, the aircraft has performed exceptionally well. The engine operations, avionics suite and other aircraft systems have exceeded our expectations and have proven great choices for the M2,” said Brian Steele, Cessna business leader, TTX and former Citation M2 engineering program manager. “It’s great for the team to hear our test pilots saying things like, ‘Wow, this really is a nice aircraft to fly – its handling characteristics are great, the Garmin G3000 avionics are so intuitive and seamless; the whole aircraft is truly fun to fly.’ That tells us we are on the right track and we are excited to get this sleek aircraft into our eagerly waiting customers’ hands.”
The Citation M2’s clean cockpit design is anchored by the fully integrated Garmin G3000 avionics suite and the aircraft is powered by a pair of FADEC-controlled Williams International FJ44-1AP-21 turbofan engines. It has an all-new cabin design, including the optional Cessna proprietary cabin management system, ClairityTM, which includes the latest interface options for greater in-flight productivity and connectivity.
With room for two crew and up to six passengers, the $4.195 million Citation M2 has a maximum cruise speed of 400 knots true airspeed (741 kilometers per hour) and a range of 1,300 nautical miles (2,408 kilometers). The aircraft can operate at airports with runways as short as 3,250 feet (991 meters) and will climb to 41,000 feet (12,497 meters) in 24 minutes.
Please click here to view the features of the Citation M2 along with some photos.
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